Curtain-roll cradle



Jan. 7, 1930. J, B MacARTi-IUR ET AIL 1,742,549

CURTAIN ROLL CRADLE Filed bec. 3o. 1927 Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE JOHN B. MACARTHUR, OF WEST LYNN, AND ROBERT C. SANSOM, OF EAST MILTON, MAS- SACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO ANDREW DUTTON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU-l SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CURTAIN-ROLL CRADLE Application led December 30, 1927. Serial No. 243,581.

This invention relates to curtains and fixtures therefor adapted for tlierstage or for dividing a large room into small rooms, or similar uses, and aims particularly to provide a novel cradle for supporting the roller and curtain intermediate its ends.

In the drawings illustrating one form of our invention described herein,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a curtain roller and its supports, and means for rotating the roller;

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing the curtain partly unrolled;

Fig. 3, a plan of the cradle; and

Fig. 4, a similar viewto Fig. 2 with the curtain substantially rolled up.

Our novel cradle, Fig. 2, comprises one or more, herein two, pairs of jaws 1, 1, of any convenient, conventional form adapted to grip the opposite edges 2 of an I-beam 3 or the like, such as is commonly used in building construction.

These jaws may be drawn toward and against the beam by a rod 4 passing through the jaws and secured by a nut. Two airs of these jaws, each pair comprising a iront and a rear jaw,-Fig. 1, are used with each cradle and depending from each pair of jaws, Fig. 3, is a plate 6 secured thereto by bolts 7 and this plate is provided with a central longitudinal slot 8 in which are secured, as by bolts 9, a depending front roller bracket 10 and a curved depending rear roller bracket 11.

Cradles for use with awning rollers have been commonly used where the awnings for windows and doors are movable laterally, as over the sidewalk. But this type of cradle is not usable with a vertically moving curtain. In the latter case the curtain must be free to unroll and roll without the unrolled portion coming into contact after it leaves the curtain roller with any other roller to such an extent as will permit the curtain by any possibility, to be swerved out of its path by and partly rolled or unrolled upon said roller.

'Io avoid this difculty, Figs. 2, 4, we provide the bracket l1 with a supporting roller 12 and at each side or front and back thereof,

and a little higher we provide a guard roller 13, 14, each of any convenient length. The curtain roller 15 rests upon and is mainly carried by the supporting roller 12. The brackets 10, 11, are, of course, adjusted relative to each other to accommodate the roller 15, whatever its diameter, and its curtain 16, so that when the curtain is rolled up itV will substantially fill the space between the rollers 13, 14 and rotate easily between them.

The foregoing arrangement provides a clear substantially vertical passage between the supporting roller and the nearest guiding roller for the movement of the curtain. Ob-

viously, the nearer the rolling and unrolling curtain moves vertically, the less the friction created by its travel as it rubs against the supporting and guiding rollers with consequent less wear of the curtain and tendency to create wrinkles therein.

Consequently, structures comprising two or more curtain roller supporting rollers which jointly support the curtain roller are impractical, because of the strain on the curtain material necessitated in moving it over the supporting rollers.l

By our novel construction, we avoid the danger pointed out in the preceding paragraph and provide means whereby the curtain may safely and certainly be rolled and unrolled smoothly without the difficulties eX- perienced in the use of other constructions which .have been tried and found impracticable.

When the curtain is being rolled up or` the curtain on the side toward which the roller is turning will cause the roller to move to the, Fig. 2, left against the guide roller 13. In both cases it will be noted that the curtain 16 will have a clear passage in which to ascend or descend. An additional guiding roll 17 is shown and may be used, if desired, to

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assist in smoothin out any folds or wrinkles in the curtain be ore it reaches the roll 15 on its upward travel.

Curtain rollers 65 or more feet in length may be installed readily with the aid of my novel cradle and. used without difficulty. In such cases a cradle is preferably placed at about every twenty feet throughout the length .of the roller. Y

At one end. of the .roller liis'shown, Fig.A l, a convenient and conventional form of ac-v tuating it, as a gea-r in a box 18, on a shaft 19, in mesh with a gear, not shown, onf-the roller end, with a universal joint 20., and` a set of gears in a box 21', the whole controlled by a handleQQ, the gearboxes. 18, 21, being secured yto the wall. adjacent the proscenium arch or other .opening thecurtain. is designed". to close. Two of theseactuatlng devices are.

frequently used, one. at Yeachlend of .therollen A" curtain and itsroller .frequentlywelghs 500pounds or more, andof .course settles or sags somewhat infthe center, `but withmy. novel cradle support, it maybe readilyfrolle'd.. and unroll'ed smoothly .andwithout diiiculty.

This invention isnot limited to theprecise embodiment thereof 'described' and illustrated herein, butgisimore ...particularly pointed .out

inthe following claims.

Claimsz` 1.4 A curtain roller. cradle comprising a support .engaging top plate, front and rear vroller carrying arms depending thereon with rollers spaced tofprovide a substantially vertical pas.

sage therebetween for the curtain;

2.. A .curtain Vroller cradle comprising/'a ceiling engaging top plate, front and ,rear roller carrying arms thereon with` rollers, a plurality of vthe, latter: positioned yvertically and a plurality of themupositioned in acurved line to provide a centrally positioned. sup-1 porting roller and. aguard roller infront and at .the rearthereof.

3. A curtainroller cradle comprising a top,A plate, roller carrying arms .thereon-with roll-l ersin, Urshaped formation thereon with an. upright passage between three -ofIthem for the. curtain.,

et. A curtain roller cradle comprising a top plate, a. :straightl and .a curved roller. arm thereon spaced apart vertically and carrying aroller on each arm.

5. Ay curtain Y roller cradle having a plural.

ity.v of .roller supporting .arms,-..onef-straight and one curved, providing a. ver-tical curtain space between themequalat least tothe thickness ofthe curtain, with aroller ononearm..

supporting the,y curtain roller substantial-ly.

centrally fthereover. duringV unrolling l:of .the .a curtain and a. guide. for the-,curtain at either side ofthe .supporting -rolleri Inv testimony whereof, we have signed our names tothis spec-ication.;

JOHN BJMAGARTHUR.; )ROBERT C.` SANSGMs. 

